It’s the moment that you’ve waited for since you first put on that Duke Blue t-shirt with the words “Blue Devils” proudly splayed across the front. Maybe you’ve been preparing for this moment since you were in diapers, or maybe you’ve been a Tar Heel fan for your entire life, but two or three years ago you made the best decision of your life and decided to apply to Duke because #GTHC. People all over the world want the chance to see this game. Tickets can go for up to four times the price of the tickets for the NCAA Championship game. It’s time to grab that face paint and get Crazie. This is the greatest rivalry in all of sports history. Here’s why you should pitch a tent in Krzyzewskiville to get there.
1. A sense of community
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There is nothing like screaming as loud as you can for three hours amidst a group of newly close friends, friendships that were forged in between the sad tent fabric that qualifies as a home for several months. For so many nights, it was you versus the elements, and more importantly, you versus the Line Monitors. The only way to watch this game is right next to people who understand exactly what you sacrificed to be here and would do it all over again. Yes, the most important part is just being inside of Cameron, but you need someone to hold onto while you cry during Grayson’s senior speech.
2. Earning your place
via: Forbes
Related: GTHC
Standing in that first, second, third, or even fourth row at the game, knowing that you slept on the cold, hard ground to earn your seats give those seats a sense of worth. Sure, you didn’t pay thousands of dollars to be there like everyone else in the audience who isn’t a student, but still, you did sacrifice sleep for days on end, any semblance of mental health, time spent in class and the subsequent passing grades, and of course the physical health of your now entirely blue body.
3. Better seats
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As exemplified by this photo, the quality of seats available in Cameron after the hundred or so tents take their places isn’t excellent. Most of those who do Walk Up Line get stuck with seats behind the baskets on either side, in empty seats in the stadium, or across from the student section. While you’re experiencing this moment that will grow in part to define your Duke experience, you want to make sure you can actually see what’s happening on the court.
4. Walk Up Line absolutely sucks
One of the biggest controversies this year on Duke’s campus has been the hell that was walk-up line. People have been calling for its removal, and there is a good chance that this not-so-celebrated tradition dies at the end of this year. As it turns out, a bunch of aggressive drunks all rushing the security gates amidst the hundreds of other students who have been waiting for days to get into the game is a safety hazard.